A number of weapons belonging to the Cerberus Security Company, and OP Security Services were seized by the Guyana Police Force after 24-year-old Ashanti Liverpool, and 19-year-old Jared Jagnand were killed by two security guards in separate incidents.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn told reporters today that following the deadly shootings last month, he ordered that the weapons in the possession of the two security firms be seized, and all security officers within those firms be retrained.  

“In both cases we required retraining, and the immediate response was the taking away of weapons and we are trying to find more resorts to sanction them for their deficiencies, in this case, two particularly difficult situations, incidents, in relation to their handling of weapons,” Minister Benn said. 

Minister Benn said the deadly shootings were no accident. 

In one case, Ashanti Liverpool was gunned down by her twin-sister’s ex-boyfriend, who was a security guard attached to OP Security Services at the time. He had armed himself with a high-powered rifle, and was in search of Liverpool’s sister, when he gunned her down.

The man later turned another gun from the security company on himself, but survived the injury, and has since been charged with murder. 

In the case of Jared Jagnand, he was killed three days later by a 20-year-old security guard attached to Cerberus Security Company.

Jagnand was working at a Lusignan Auto Sales company, when he was shot by the 20-year-old guard, who was also on duty at the time at the same company.

It was suspected that the guard may have accidentally fired off the gun, hitting the young salesman, but Minister Benn said it was no accident. 

“If you are a trained security person and you have a precept, it could not be accidental in the way the incident happened, and the response to save the young man’s life was very inadequate. With the other one, it is a bad one, again a young person, precepted into a security service was allowed to take the gun from one place and assault the sister of his partner, kill her, and then go and take another gun, and go and try to, perhaps, to kill himself,” the Home Affairs Minister reasoned. 

With the number of security firms rapidly increasing in the country, Minister Benn said there is much work to be done by the Guyana Police Force to ensure that persons issued with precepts are well trained, and demonstrate restraint while carrying weapons.  

He said the Police Force is currently in talks with security service providers. 

“We know that Chinese and other businesses are being targeted, and we are bringing up, and there have been more recent discussions through the Guyana Police Force with the security service providers in relation to the discipline, the hours of work, fatigue maybe a problem, and generally, their readiness, and responsible handling of weapons,” the Home Affairs Minister said. 

Minister Benn said while security services play an important role in crime prevention, the misuse or handling of weapons is unacceptable. 

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